Until about 4 hours before yesterday's first pitch at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, the Yankees still had not decided who would be the starting pitcher. They decided to go with an "opener game," with Jhony Brito going on 3 days' rest. He was a bit shaky, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings. The only support he got was from an RBI single by Aaron Judge in the 3rd inning.
But the bullpen, according to plan, was fantastic. Ron Marinaccio pitched a scoreless and hitless 5th and 6th innings, Michael King pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th, and Clay Holmes pitched a scoreless 9th.
So the Yankees needed runs. They got 'em, from sources both likely and otherwise. One of the "otherwise" was Isiah Kiner-Falefa: He came into the game batting just .200, but hit a home run in the 5th inning. This was followed later in that inning by an RBI double by Judge and an RBI single by Anthony Rizzo. That tied the game.
The game went to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, the Yankee "ghost runner" was the newly-acquired Greg Allen. And, with 1 out, Judge singled him home. To put an exclamation point on it, Rizzo hit a home run. And Ryan Weber pitched a perfect bottom of the 10th.
Yankees 7, Reds 4. WP: Holmes (2-2). SV: Weber (1). LP: Ian Gibaut (3-1).
The series concludes this afternoon. Luis Severino has come off the Injury List, and will make his 1st start of the season, against Hunter Greene.